West Fraser to hold 2nd Annual Mountain Pine Beetle Open House

West Fraser is hosting its second annual Mountain Pine Beetle open house from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday October 11, 2017 at the Hinton Community Centre.

Coffee and snacks will be available.

Background:

Mountain Pine Beetle is an insect with the potential to devastate landscapes. A large MPB outbreak started in British Columbia in the early 1990s. Since that time the insect has killed about 50% of the total volume of commercial lodgepole pine in that province. While isolated records of MPB had been noted in Alberta before, it was the massive migration of beetles into Alberta from outbreaks in British Columbia in 2006 that has since fueled the spread in this province.

Right now, in the Hinton and Jasper area, we are seeing the largest populations of live beetles ever. Three mild winters in a row have helped to exacerbate this problem. Beetle populations in Jasper National Park have exploded and have now moved in, and are becoming established, in the Hinton area.

Please join us at this open house, where there will be:

• Information about the mountain pine beetle (MPB) including its life cycle and how to identify it.
• West Fraser representatives with current plans for addressing MPB including harvesting plans for areas in the proximity to Hinton.
• Representatives from the Government of Alberta who will have current maps showing the results of the latest MPB population surveys.
• Representatives from the fRI Research who will be there to discuss research related to MPB.
• Representatives from the Town on Hinton.
• Representatives from Yellowhead County.
• Historical information on MPB spread since 2006
• People able to identify MPB attacked trees (bring pictures if you think you have a tree that may have been attacked)